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Anyone on here use a Mamiya 7 MK2?
- Thread starter Deano
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- John
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I thought all the high street shops had stopped selling film cameras.
I use a 6, don't think its any easier to load, in fact if anything its slightly more cumbersome than a bladd/bronica/RB SLR, because you have to hold the whole camera with a flappy door open, the film carrier method is easier, you only need 2 hands, m/f rangefinders....well....4 would be handy.
Ere, I always thought the bladds had a film carrier.....I dunno, I could be wrong.
I use a 6, don't think its any easier to load, in fact if anything its slightly more cumbersome than a bladd/bronica/RB SLR, because you have to hold the whole camera with a flappy door open, the film carrier method is easier, you only need 2 hands, m/f rangefinders....well....4 would be handy.
Ere, I always thought the bladds had a film carrier.....I dunno, I could be wrong.
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- John
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M/F Rangefinders are smaller more compact than M/F SLR's, you don't view through the lens like an SLR, its just a viewfinder that give an approximate guide to what will be in frame.
The Mamiya 6 has a semi opache gold square in the centre of the viewfinder, when you centre the subject the gold square shows 2 subjects, turning the focus on the lens brings these 2 images together, when there is only one image, its focussed.
The lenses have shutters built in, there's no mirror or curtain, you can hand hold them at slower speeds than an SLR.
Rangefinder focussing -
The Mamiya 6 has a semi opache gold square in the centre of the viewfinder, when you centre the subject the gold square shows 2 subjects, turning the focus on the lens brings these 2 images together, when there is only one image, its focussed.
The lenses have shutters built in, there's no mirror or curtain, you can hand hold them at slower speeds than an SLR.
Rangefinder focussing -
Most medium format cameras have reflex viewing, that is viewing through the actual lens.
Rangefinders have a separate viewfinder, built into the camera, usually just above and to the right of the lens (viewed from the front). This design allows the camera to be more compact and lighter. (The viewfinder has its own lens.)
Rangefinders have a separate viewfinder, built into the camera, usually just above and to the right of the lens (viewed from the front). This design allows the camera to be more compact and lighter. (The viewfinder has its own lens.)
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- Simon Everett
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I have used both the mamiya 6 and the 7 (and the MkII 7) and of them I would say the Mamiya 6 is the better camera. It is lighter, handier and has absolutely stunning lenses. There is also no need to turn the camera on its side for portarit shooting, because you shoot square, just the same as Blad and Broni 6x6 (or Rollei or anyone else come to that!)
Instead of shooting tight to the frame edges, you soon learn to see in the square format. If you are shooting for the page, then you just leave 1/3 room...there is so much quality available from the negs that cropping to suit portrait or landscape doesn't matter - even for very big prints.
The 7 was brought in at the request of stock and travel shooters who wanted a full page from their trannies with no waste, i.e. no crop required (6x7 exactly matches printed page dimensions ratio). The downside was a bigger body to accommodate the larger image circle, bigger lenses to create that larger image circle and fewer shots on the roll of film (6x6 = 12 on a roll of 120 while 6x7 only gives 10). Being a rectangular format, you then need to turn the camera to create portrait shots....and it is a lump to turn round.
The timing was at just the wrong time too, because digital started to be accepted by the major libraries soon after the 7 was released, and digital backs became available, and now most libraries don't want film stock at all, if you shoot film they want you to scan it yourslef, so from an economic standpoint, it is a loser - the time involved makes shooting stock on film expensive, in materials and time.
If you want a MF rangefinder - go for the Mamiya 6. It is a brilliant performer and you will soon get used to the rangefinder and what it sees - it is only close to shots that you need to be careful with.The RZ was a brilliant piece of machinery, but so heavy and cumbersome I was glad to change when it got nicked. I then went to the Contax 645 system, because of the functions and beautifully crisp lenses (better results, despite the smaller format, than the 6x7 from the RZ!!).....now, I haven't shot a roll of film for 4 years, other than panoramics in the X-Pan. There still isn't a handy panoramic digital camera yet.
Instead of shooting tight to the frame edges, you soon learn to see in the square format. If you are shooting for the page, then you just leave 1/3 room...there is so much quality available from the negs that cropping to suit portrait or landscape doesn't matter - even for very big prints.
The 7 was brought in at the request of stock and travel shooters who wanted a full page from their trannies with no waste, i.e. no crop required (6x7 exactly matches printed page dimensions ratio). The downside was a bigger body to accommodate the larger image circle, bigger lenses to create that larger image circle and fewer shots on the roll of film (6x6 = 12 on a roll of 120 while 6x7 only gives 10). Being a rectangular format, you then need to turn the camera to create portrait shots....and it is a lump to turn round.
The timing was at just the wrong time too, because digital started to be accepted by the major libraries soon after the 7 was released, and digital backs became available, and now most libraries don't want film stock at all, if you shoot film they want you to scan it yourslef, so from an economic standpoint, it is a loser - the time involved makes shooting stock on film expensive, in materials and time.
If you want a MF rangefinder - go for the Mamiya 6. It is a brilliant performer and you will soon get used to the rangefinder and what it sees - it is only close to shots that you need to be careful with.The RZ was a brilliant piece of machinery, but so heavy and cumbersome I was glad to change when it got nicked. I then went to the Contax 645 system, because of the functions and beautifully crisp lenses (better results, despite the smaller format, than the 6x7 from the RZ!!).....now, I haven't shot a roll of film for 4 years, other than panoramics in the X-Pan. There still isn't a handy panoramic digital camera yet.
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- Richard
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I had two Mamiya 7IIs with 50, 65, 80 and 150mm lenses but I just have one body and the the 65mm lens now and hardly ever use them now I've gone digital. Prior to that I used to shoot with an RB67 ProSD and would lug an enourmous amount of kit around. I loved using the RB but it became impratical with tightening airline carry on restrictions, so I switched to the 7.
The 7 is a joy to use and the lenses are incredibly sharp, especially the wide angles when compared to the same focal length for the RB which have to incorporate back focus to allow for the mirror box.
I'm looking at selling my Mamiya 7 soon to fund a new Canon lens, shame really.
The 7 is a joy to use and the lenses are incredibly sharp, especially the wide angles when compared to the same focal length for the RB which have to incorporate back focus to allow for the mirror box.
I'm looking at selling my Mamiya 7 soon to fund a new Canon lens, shame really.